In the third installment of the Pay The Man series, Lamar Jackson led the Baltimore Ravens to their fourth straight win as they defeated the Carolina Panthers 13-3. Jackson continues to prove why he is worthy of a new contract and as time continues to move forward it becomes more and more of a head-scrather everyday that he does not come to an agreement with the Ravens.
One logical reason why there has not been an agreement between the two sides is that Lamar placed a self-imposed deadline for a contract extension at Week 1 of the football season. After that, he explained that he was not going to talk about a new contract for the rest of the year.
The Louisville Cardinals legend marches to the beat of his own drum in the best way possible. It is evident that the Baltimore community loves him, the Louisville community loves him, and one particular NFL media personality expressed her appreciation for the kind of human Lamar is.
Being honest… when interviewing @Lj_era8 I try to make my questions quick just so I can get to the end. I live for the, “thank you, miss Laura.”☺️ Great quarterback and simply a lovely person. https://t.co/C3Dli5lrf7
— Laura Okmin (@LauraOkmin) November 20, 2022
A current sportscaster for NFL on Fox, Laura Okmin verbalizes what the spectators are thinking. Jackson has a different perspective on life and it’s one of integrity and respect. His character off-the-field translates to pure dominance and unbelievable plays on-the-field.
In Sunday’s matchup against the Panthers, Lamar threw for over 200 yards in the air and capped it off with a rushing touchdown. He scored the only touchdown of the game as the Baltimore defense kept Baker Mayfield and the offense out of the endzone for the entirety of the game.
The matchup between Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield creates an interesting storyline because both quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Before they face off tomorrow on FOX, here's a look at the careers of Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson since they were both drafted in the 1st round of the 2018 NFL Draft 🔽 pic.twitter.com/3tGtnZievI
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 19, 2022
One was selected first overall and one was selected 32nd overall. One was touted as a potential franchise savior and one was drafted because the organization took a chance on him. One has won an MVP award and one has not.
Based on these facts, a common football fan would assume that Lamar Jackson was the one who was drafted with the number 1 overall pick and was donned the future franchise savior. However, that is not the case. Jackson has embodied the character of the Baltimore Ravens franchise and their fanbase simultaneously.
Baker Mayfield has been traded from the team that drafted him only to be replaced by a man who hasn’t played a game in the NFL for over a year. There is a stark contrast between these two individuals and the reality of the situation is that Lamar Jackson is widely respected across sports media and especially his teammates.
Talk shows have debated over the issue of “Is Baker Mayfield a locker room cancer?” Each player has taken a different path to get to where they are and Jackson deserves a new contract more than any other athlete at this point.
His continued dominance on the field initiates this conversation and his character off the field solidifies it.